Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Reality...it really happened

The Real Mt. Siani..check this out!!!


Im a person who appreciates history. I love hearing the stories of how those in the past reacted, moved, changed and formed and lived. With that said, the Bible is history, its full of history of how God has been interacting with His people, the israelites, and it tells the "stories" of how God has and continues to do so much to reach out to the hearts of His people. In God's Word, there are miraculous things, supernatural things, laws, demonstrations of power and things have happened that remain in a class all by themself. Many times, because of the present and all the pressure thats put on reality (whats happening right in front of you) I think that at times we water-down the stories of the Bible and dont realize the reality of them. The effects and choices made and power demonstrasted in the Word have changed the course of history. Men and women who chose to follow God, not some fairy-tale figure, but The Creator of the Universe Himself have experienced and seen things that nowadays a man's imagination can only make up. I mean, look at the experiences and look at the results, Imagine the reality of a burning bush that is blazing with white-hot flames, yet not consumed...or an entire sea split in two forming a path for 2 million people to pass through....or even God Himself, coming down from Heaven, to visit earth with a physical presence ...fire, sulfur, a foundation of the most clearest, precious stones, descending upon a mountain . Picture the reality of a man that could walk on water, whose DNA was so molecularly different from our own that if He were to take a blood test, it would be proven that he was created without a human father. Or the reality of a city that was literally destroyed with the hottest of sulfur and fire, killing everyone in its path. So many people look at the Bible, with this metaphorical, unreal perspective, and thus they see a God who is the same way...Go through the Word, look at the stories and let the Life of the Word take you back and allow you to feel the experience that these people felt....

This is just an example of what Im talking about...Look at this article, see how nature doesent lie, then take a look at Exodus and re live what went on at that holy mountain. Its not some "dedication or tribute" to what happened. Men arent set up like workers at an amusement park waiting to take tourists on a "show" to these supernatural monuments...they have a legacy, a reality , a residue left by God Himself. Check it out, be changed

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Chambers of the Heart



I was reading Ezekiel 8:7-12 , and this just really stood out. I encourage you to really just read it over and over and let the Spirit of God speak to you about the chambers of your own heart. Whats painted on the walls of our spirits? To what and to whom is our devotion and worship going to. It may not be to gold or silver or wood idols, but it may be to something such as "self", or it may be a devotion to fill a void in our lives, and we may search to fill it with everything and anything. What about the things that we watch or listen to on a daily basis, are they recieving the worship in our temple that only God deserves? We may even be calling the thing we devote our attention to a good thing in the name of "God" and we might be replacing His blessings for Him. Lets not take the glory of God and exchange it for images resembling not just things like beasts and birds like the Israelites did, but lets not exchange His glory and change his image to that of a corruptible man. (Romans 1:23). Self can be a tyrant, a dictator, and a lord to the man who lives for himself. What and who are you serving in the chambers of your heart?

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Visiting Royalty

"God is treated as visiting royalty in a democratic country." - A.W. Tozer

I cant help but be fascinated everytime I pick up one of A. W. Tozer's books and read. When I saw this statement , there was so much truth in it for so few words. This statement makes me think of how this country and so many others have treated God, today, in the past, and in how our children will treat God in the future.
This is just a thought, but I think that overall, mankind (worldly man) likes and thinks that he has adjusted well to the realization that "this is his world". What i mean by that is , after the fall of man in Genesis 2, when Adam decided to disobey God, and essentially made the choice to be under the dominion of Satan, and when Adam chose to be "on his own", I think that throughout the years and all through the centuries, man is "proud" and "ok" with Adam's decision. Today we would say that "man has made the most of it" and the world is comfortable with Adam's decision in the begining to forget God and choose himself. That attitude is wrong and thats why this statement is so true. Today people are comfortable choosing themself and working on themselves, rather than choosing God and working on doing His will. I mean, when it comes down to it, Are we really doing what God wants us to be doing? Or have we made the democratic decision to make our own plans ideas and goals and then honor God and celebrate Him in the process of doing what we want to do?
Just look around you, God is honored, but he isnt Supreme. People respect God, but dont fear Him. People like the fact that they are "in control" of their own decisions and Self has taken the throne in the kingdom of decision making. And when along comes another Authority, with another Law and some different decisions, "self" feels threatened and holds on tighter than ever to the achievements and acomplishments and the goals that "I " want to meet. Thats why its so easy for people to accept Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord; and that is one of the biggest misunderstandings that have been made.
Lets not make God a guest; lets stop treating Him as visiting royalty in a democratic country. Let's dethrone self and let the Lord God rule and reign in our lives. Let's stop treating God as a guest in our government, in our churches, and in our homes. Let's switch to a Kingdom mentality and give Him the rightful honor, reverence, and devotion thats given to a King.